


Cocytus

by Somnifery (somnifery)



Series: Alcione [3]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Amnesia, Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Lost Love, Multi, Past Character Death, Romance, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-18 06:24:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 10,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16112684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somnifery/pseuds/Somnifery
Summary: Every night, a girl he's never met haunts his dreams.She's spent the last decade trying to forget him.Things will never be the same.





	1. Chapter 1

Tamzin’s awakening was not the sort of story that would be told for lighthearted nights beside the fire.

The Ghost found her on Titan. The Arcologies were decaying, crumbling behemoths amongst the methane waves, life support systems long gone, and yet something told her that this was the place.

Her search, at long last, could end.

The Hive had yet to consume this dome, perhaps because it was nearly entirely underwater. The Ghost had to go beneath the waves to get inside, emerging in a place eerily lit by backup generators, muggy with methane gas.

The Ghost hopes against hope that this is not the place, but as she goes deeper into the Arcology the sense of proximity grows.

She is here, beneath several feet of Titan’s sea. She is a lone, long-dead husk, curled up in the corner of a dock, beneath the bodies of other nameless bones.

The Ghost hesitates, far too aware of what is about to happen. But she must. She has no options.

Her Guardian will have to be strong.

Strong, and able to suffer.

She awakens, disoriented, afraid, only to find that she cannot breathe.

She drowns.

The Ghost brings her back, and she falls to her knees on the damp metal of the docks, gasping for oxygen she won’t get.

She opens her mouth.

She tries to scream.

She suffocates.

The vessels in her eyes burst, and the sclera turn red.

“This way,” The Ghost tells her, bringing her back once more. “Just come this way.”

She crawls, limps, following the light of the Ghost, making it to the emergency airlock one death at a time.

The oxygen tanks are ancient, but they are full, and the Ghost prods her until she gets a helmet on, gets a mask on her face, wheezing in pain until her lungs seize once more.

She brings her back. The air in her lungs is clean.

She is afraid.

The Ghost wants to comfort her, somehow, but she has just brought her back from death to hours of agony and fear, and she cannot change that.

“Put a suit on,” she says.

Her Guardian’s eyes flick to the dusty suits, still hanging from the walls. She’s still breathing heavily, eyes dilated in terror.

“Put a suit on.” The Ghost repeats, a bit more firmly. “We’re going to get out of here.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Eyes up. Here.”

The voice is kind, female- He closes his eyes against the bright sun, trying to think clearly.

He is disoriented, overstimulated. The air in his lungs burns, and the ideas in his head are a deluge, a flood, a thousand things at once, a million words he can't quite remember. 

When he opens his eyes, there’s a small, floating thing, bobbing above him, a blue diamond vivid in the black silhouette. It’s talking to him.

“I’ve been looking for you.” It sounds happy. “Welcome to the world, Guardian!”

“What are you?” He looks around, pushing himself up on a piece of scorched hull. “Where am I?”

“I’m your Ghost. And we’re near the Reef.”

“That doesn’t explain anything.”

The Ghost laughs. “Well, I can tell you the rest. But first, we have to get you out of here and to a safe place. There’s enemies crawling all over this place.”

“Enemies…”

He sighs, about to push himself to his feet, but something stabs into his palm. The Awoken looks down, feeling around until he finds something hard in the moss. He picks it up.

It’s a scorched steel square, with a hawk or falcon carved into metal, charred pieces of leather hanging from either side.

He slips it into his pocket, impulsively, before he drags himself to his feet, shedding ash and moss as he goes.

“Alright, weird robot. Where to?”


	3. Chapter 3

“Tamzin. Hey.”

The Warlock shakes her head, trying to clear the fog, focus in on Shiro’s voice. He’s got a hand on her shoulder, the touch that drew her back to reality.

“What?”

Shiro sighs a bit too loudly. He’s been trying to get her attention for a bit longer than she’d realized.

“I’ve got to go. Get dressed.”

Tamzin looks around the dilapidated room, wondering how many times she’s ended up here before.

“Look, Tam…” Shiro starts to speak as she buttons up her coat, trailing off as she turns to look at him. The Exo has his cloak draped over his arm, and if he had expressions, she has a feeling she’d recognize regret. “I told you, I don’t mind being your rebound, but it’s been years. You’ve gotta start getting yourself back together.”

“If you don’t like the sex, you can just say no.” She runs her fingers through her hair, trying to make it lay flat. Of course an Exo wouldn’t have a hairbrush lying around.

“That’s not what I said.” He doesn’t want to argue, she can tell-- But that’s not going to stop him now. “You’ve let yourself go, that’s all. It’s been more than enough time. You should try to get things back to normal.”

“This is my new normal.” She’s halfway out the door, but she lifts one hand up in a wave. “See you next time I’m lonely.”


	4. Chapter 4

She’s quiet, at first. Too quiet.

She doesn’t answer the Ghost’s questions, and she’s obviously shaken by her deaths. Her revivals. The pain.

They find a ship, but the only functional part is the transponder and radio. The Ghost hacks in, once it’s clear her Guardian doesn’t know what to do, and she sends out an SOS.

They wait.

“I’m your Ghost.” The Ghost tells her.

The Guardian just gives her that flat, gray stare.

“I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

Nothing.

“... What do you want me to call you?”

Her Guardian looks down, turning her hands over, as if trying to calibrate the limbs with her newly regenerated body. She doesn’t answer.

She is silent for a night. The Ghost gives up speaking, after a while, just watching the sky and scanner for their rescuer.

The ship’s entering the atmosphere when the Ghost feels something touch her shell. She turns, and sees her Guardian running a finger over one of the many scratches and grooves in her shell.

“Rho.” She says.

Her voice is soft, dry from disuse.

“Is that what you’d like me to call you?” The Ghost rather likes it, oddly. It would be fitting for this timid creature’s first word to be her name.

“No.” Her Guardian taps her shell again. The scratch she’s tracing, the Ghost realizes, is curved. It could be a Greek letter, if you squinted at it. “You’re Rho.”

The Ghost blinks, stalling for a moment of time. A name? For her?

“... Rho will do.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Edix.” The Ghost provides her Guardian’s name cheerfully. The Hunter just waves in assent, looking at the Tower around them, trying to take it all in.

“Perfect,” a cute Huntress taps something into her tablet, humming softly as she works. “You’ll need to visit our armory. Banshee-46 is our gunsmith, and you can find him on the upper plaza. Don’t feel bad if he forgets your name, he’s just had a few too many resets.”

Edix exchanges a look with his Ghost.

“That’s it? You take my name and give me a gun?”

The Hunter laughs. “Well, you’ll be given some easy missions, of course. But just get comfortable for now, make some friends, explore your new home. The Vanguard will call for you when there’s time to brief you a bit more thoroughly.”

As they walk away, Edix runs a hand through his hair, pushing off his hood to feel the breeze in his hair. “Well, weird robot, what’s there to see around here?”

The Ghost sighs. “Please don’t call me that. You can name me, if you want, but don’t call me ‘weird robot’.”

Edix hums thoughtfully, putting his hands in his pockets. He finds the metal piece there and pulls it out, turning it over.

 _Kestrel:_ Scratched out on the back, in a hand he doesn’t recognize.

“How about Kessy?” He asks the Ghost.

“Kessy. It’s cute!” She sounds pleased. “There you go.”

He taps her shell affectionately, smiling at her delight. “If it makes you happy, it works for me.”  


	6. Chapter 6

“He’s right, you know.” Rho speaks up when they’re in the crush of the City streets, when she knows Tamzin won’t start a scene. “And you were being cruel on purpose.”

“So what?” Tamzin glances at the Ghost. “It’s not his business.”

“You’ve been using him for sex for nearly a decade. That’s longer than you ever knew that Ked-”

“Don’t fucking say it.” Tamzin warns, tone flat.

Rho doesn’t. She knows when to stop.

“I’m just saying… He cares. Even if you don’t.”

Tamzin doesn’t reply for a few blocks, pushing her way through civilians until she reaches the store she’s looking for.

“Yeah. You’re right.”

The Ghost jumps a bit, surprised at the concession.

Tamzin is staring up at the towering buildings above them, shading her eyes from the sun with one hand.

“I’ll try to be a bit nicer.”


	7. Chapter 7

The Guardian who gave them a ride to the City vanishes once they’re on the ground, and the bewildered Warlock and her Ghost are left to find their own way, standing in the midst of a busy hangar.

Rho can sense her Guardian’s anxiety at the sudden press of other people. She ends up leaving her against a wall to catch her breath, to calm down as she tries to find help. 

“Hey, whatcha doing out here alone, buddy?”

Rho spins, not seeing the source of the voice.

“Up here.”

There’s a blonde human above her, sitting on a scaffold beneath a battered ship. She has smudges of grease on her face and hair, a smattering of freckles across her nose that reminds the Ghost of her own Guardian.

“I’m trying to find the Vanguard. I’ve been away looking for my Guardian, and I found her, but things have… changed, since I was last here.”

The mechanic peers across the hangar, smiling when she spots the redhead standing against the wall.

“Is that her?”

“Yes. She’s very shy.” Rho isn’t sure why she’s telling this stranger this, but she seems like the sort to be helpful enough.

“Well, if you wait a minute, Cayde ought to be showing up down here. They’ve got some kinda meeting around this time, he likes to avoid it by coming to bother me.” She brushes more grease on her face as she pushes her bangs back. “And if you’re real lucky, one of the others will chase him down and you’ll get to meet almost the whole gang.”

“Cayde?” Rho doesn’t recognize the name.

“Cayde-6. Hunter Vanguard. Nice guy, just a bit…”

“Handsome? Dashing? Heroic?”

The mechanic sighs, rolling her eyes, and Rho can deduce that the Exo dropping to the scaffold behind her is the aforementioned Vanguard. She’s not sure where he came from, though- Was he hiding in the ship the whole time?

“Annoying.” The girl finishes.

“Amanda, you wound me.” The Exo puts a hand to his heart. “I thought we were friends.”

“I’ve got ships to repair, slacker.” She smacks him in the shin with one of her wrenches before using it to gesture at Rho, then her Guardian. “Go do your job. This one’s got a new kid, she’s hiding in the corner from the loud ones.”

The Exo ruffles up the mechanic’s hair before jumping to the ground below, cape swishing dramatically as he lands. “A new kid? She one of mine?”

“She’s-” Rho starts, but he’s already on his way to the Guardian. She looks to Amanda, and the mechanic just shrugs.

“He’s a good guy. Worst he’ll do is feed her too much.” Amanda tilts her head, watching the Exo introduce himself to the girl against the wall. “... And maybe get flirtatious. He does like redheads.”  

Rho starts to dash back to her Guardian, but she stops and calls back to Amanda. “Thank you!”

The mechanic waves a hand. “No problem. Come back and visit once y’all are settled. I’ll get your girl set up with a nice ship.”


	8. Chapter 8

“How can I have dreams if I don’t have memories?” 

Kessy blinks at the Hunter, and he wonders if that’s her way of showing confusion. He knows she  _ has _ expressions, in her own way- Little mannerisms that betray her feelings. He just hasn’t learned them yet. 

“I don’t know.” She sounds a bit frustrated that she can’t give him an answer. She likes to please him, be it with little compliments or information he wants to know. “I can try to find out, if you’d like. I’m sure someone knows.” 

“Nah,” he shakes his head, taking a bite out of his pork bun and chewing it slowly. “I’ll find out on my own, eventually.” 

“What have you been dreaming about?” The Ghost asks, curious. “Places? Events?” 

He laughs, almost nervously. “Well, events, sure. Not the kind you mean, though.” 

“Well, I wouldn’t try to find meaning in  _ dirty _ dreams, if that’s what you’re doing.” 

Edix almost chokes on his food. “What would  _ you _ know about dirty dreams?”

“I’ve been around!” She protests, seemingly offended by his laughter. “I know what you people do. You Guardians get around.” 

“I’m technically a virgin, Kess.” He grins at her. “No need to be jealous.” 

“I’m not  _ jealous! _ ” 

“What’s that?” He points at one of the TVs in the restaurant, and the Ghost turns to look. 

“Oh. That’s the Crucible.” She watches the little figures running across the screen, shooting at one another. “It’s training, but it’s a spectator sport, too. People bet on their favorite Guardians when they compete.” 

“Huh.” He chews, watching as a Warlock takes out three opponents in short order with a sniper rifle, finishing off the last with a hand cannon as he tries to use a grenade on her. “That’s kinda impressive.” 

“Yeah, I guess.” Kessy turns to look him over. “You could be that good.” 

“I dunno about that,” he raises one eyebrow. “I can barely avoid shooting myself in the ass right now.” 

“That’s the point.” She sounds far too excited, in his opinion. “You go to the Crucible to learn how to fight! And you’ll earn glimmer, so you can get… better clothes.” 

“Kess.” Edix puts on a shocked, sad face. “Are you suggesting that I’m badly dressed?” 

“I’m not suggesting it, honey.” She bobs sadly, looking down at his shoes. “I’m stating a fact.” 


	9. Chapter 9

Tamzin pulls off her helmet, shaking out her sweat-soaked hair and letting the cool air of the Tower hit her skin. Top of the board, just as she'd hoped. 

Without warning, Shaxx appears and claps her on the back, nearly knocking her off her feet with the force of the blow.  

“Well done, Tamzin! You showed those rookies how a real Warlock fights.” 

“You know me. Always willing to help train some new kids.” She smiles, but it’s missing her usual bitterness. “Or just put old ones in their place.”

Despite Tamzin’s best efforts to the contrary, she rather likes Shaxx. He’d taken her in, as much as anyone could, in the aftermath of Kedric’s death. Zavala had wanted to cage like a mad dog, and Ikora just wanted her to find some deeper meaning in senseless loss. Shaxx, though?

Shaxx let her fight. He had her channel that anger into something that felt productive, even if it really weren’t. She found something like peace in brutality, and in time, she found some money from the city bookies, willing to take her spare change to bet on her own victories. 

“How are you doing?” He asks, in a softer voice than his usual stadium boom. “Taking care of yourself?” 

She hasn’t tried to overdose on overpriced City narcotics in nearly six months, she wants to say, but that’s not the answer he wants to hear. “Eating, drinking…  _ less _ alcohol. Shooting my recommended twenty-five Guardians a week when I’m not on assignment.” 

“Excellent.” He claps her on the shoulder, and she yet again buckles slightly beneath his strength. “Keep up the good work!”

“Will do, sir.” Tamzin gives him a cheeky salute as she backs away, turning just in time to avoid falling on the steps. 

“What’s your definition of  _ less _ alcohol?” Rho asks, materializing beside her. “You’re not lying, but come on.” 

“Nothing has ever stopped you from interrupting me to snitch before,” Tamzin points out. “Why stop now?”

Rho sighs, but she doesn’t answer. 

“That’s what I thought.” Tam jerks her head in the direction of the baths. “Come on. I want to wash up before finding some dinner. I could eat a Phalanx right about now.” 


	10. Chapter 10

Ikora still remembers the first time she saw Tamzin.

It’s an odd juxtaposition, recently. A fiery yet distant woman has replaced the quiet girl she’d found in her library, perched on a ladder and reading a book from the highest shelf.

“Hello.” She’d spoken softly, wondering how the girl had ended up in here.

The girl looked at her, slamming the book shut-- Then glancing down, hurriedly finding the page she’d been on again.

“Are you Ikora?” A Ghost drifts toward her, sounding a bit concerned. “We were told to wait for you here.”

“I am,” she replied, giving the Ghost a reassuring little smile. “Who are you?”

“I’m Rho,” the Ghost hesitated, looking back toward the girl uncertainly. “And this is my Guardian.”

The girl had simply stared at Ikora, waiting for some sign that she was either a friend or a threat.

“Hello.” Ikora offered her a hand, and she had carefully jumped down from her perch, hugging the book to her chest the entire time. “What are you reading?”

The girl’s wary expression softened, and she lowered the book, holding it out to let Ikora see. It was a reprint of an ancient classic, tattered and faded, but she could make out the title.

“ _The Return of the Native_ ,” Ikora read aloud. “It’s been a while since I’ve read that one.”

“... It’s strange.” The girl said. “I like it.”

Ikora felt a bit of pride at getting the girl to speak. “There’s all kinds of strange stories in here. And you can read all of them, if you’d like.”

The girl looked at the shelves, as if trying to fathom the task of reading everything contained on them.

“Let’s get you settled, first, though.” Get her outfitted, in the field, trained, and then… Then she can read all she wants. “What would you like to be called?"

The girl hadn’t answered for a long minute, but she looked down at the book in her hand, chewing on her lip nervously.

Ikora waited, recognizing indecision.

“... Tamsin.” The girl said it carefully, softly. Ikora had smiled, watching the Guardian try on the name, consider how it felt on her tongue. “My name is Tamsin.”


	11. Chapter 11

“You’re daydreaming again. Should I be insulted?”

Edix inhales slowly, running his hands through her hair, savoring the sensation of her skin against him. She’s otherworldly, even for a dream.

He runs his fingers over her face- The soft scars, her pale lashes, the lid that covers one nova-bright eye, such a sharp contrast to the stormy gray of the other.

“Who are you?” He asks.

For once, the dream is lucid, and he reaches for some grasp of these visions, the phantom that haunts him. “Why are you here?”

She doesn’t answer. She’s focused on other things.

“I love you.”

Her face is bleeding, and her eye is gone.

He wakes up with a gasp.


	12. Chapter 12

“They spelled it wrong.” Rho observes.

Tamsin stares at the board, lips pursed thoughtfully.

“I dunno,” she says. “I think I like the ‘z’.”

The Warlock reaches out, touching the screen, tracing the letter with her finger like a child learning her script. “Tam _zin_. It’s sharp.”

Rho doesn’t really know what sharp means, but it isn’t really her place to debate it.

“They can correct it, if it bothers you.” Ikora is quiet, and Tamsin jumps slightly at the sound of the voice at her shoulder.

“H- Hello.” The Warlock stammers. She ducks her head, almost bowing.

Ikora suppresses a laugh, putting her hands on the girl’s shoulders and guiding her upright. “You don’t need to bow to me, Guardian. I’m your Vanguard, not your master.”

“Sorry.” The poor girl is blushing.

Ikora just smiles reassuringly. “Your name, however- We can have them correct it.”

The girl looked back at the board, then at her Ghost.

“No.” Tamzin speaks firmly, surprising both Ikora and Rho. “It’s right. It’s Tamzin.”


	13. Chapter 13

Edix spins around in front of the window, humming thoughtfully as his new cape flutters out behind him.

“What do you think? Silver, or gold?”

Kessy bobs around him, scanning his armor with a critical eye. “I like silver with your coloring. It brings out your eyes, especially with that purple.”

“It’s periwinkle,” he corrects her, brushing some dust from his chestplate. “But you’re right, it does bring out my eyes.”

“Don’t be vain.” His Ghost bops against his head, showing her affection like a very pointy cat. “Girls don’t like it.”

Edix laughs, smoothing down his hair where Kessy bumped into it. “Are you sure? They can’t seem to get enough of it.”

“It’s because you’re a Hunter, you idiot.” Kessy snorts. Edix is starting to walk away, and she follows. “And because you dress like you’ve got glimmer to spare.”

“Well, I do have glimmer. I’ve been working very hard to earn it.” He tries to sound offended, but fails to keep the tone. “I just spend it all on nice things once I have it.”

Kessy sighs loudly. “We’ll get you on a budget one day.”

“You said that four months ago,” he shrugs. “Let’s go see Tess.”

“She’s not going to sleep with you.” The Ghost has said this a few times, but the lesson does not seem to stick. “And I’m pretty sure her uncle would come after you if she did.”

“I just want to say hi!” Edix puts his hands up, a gesture of harmlessness. “She’s cute, that’s all.”

Kessy sighs, floating along behind her Guardian as he makes his way up the courtyard stairs. “You’re hopeless.”

The Hunter just grins, a mischievous expression. “You have no idea.”


	14. Chapter 14

“Just stop getting in my way.” Tamzin snaps at her teammates. “I can’t shoot them if you’re down there playing human shield.”

“If you want to fight all six alone, be our guest.” The Hunter to her left retorted, spreading her arms out dramatically. “We can find better shit to do with our time.”

“Guardians.” There’s a warning in Shaxx’s tone, and the Guardians are smart enough to quit while they’re ahead. Still, Tamzin shoots the Hunter a dirty look, only to get a rude gesture in response.

“The next match is this afternoon,” the Handler informs them. “Be ready at 1300. And you--” He has a hand on Tamzin’s shoulder before she can dart off. “Stay behind for a moment.”

The Hunter is all too thrilled to see her get held back, and Tamzin fantasizes about wiping that grin off her face with a sidearm. Instead, she turns to face Shaxx, crossing her arms over her chest like a sulking child.

“I’m not wrong.” She starts speaking before he gets a chance, but she cuts herself off when he looks down at her- Grumbles on more argument. “.. They get in my way.”

“We’ve discussed your problems with teamwork before, Tamzin. You’ve been doing so well--”

Rho sighs, tuning out the conversation and drifting away to look across the plaza. Tamzin will listen and play nicely for a few weeks, or months, or a year, and then she’ll start playing for herself again, and Shaxx will have to dress her down on the virtues of collaboration yet again.

“I said I could just compete in Rumble!” She’s being too loud, Rho notes. “That would avoid all of this.”

“Crucible is meant to be a learning experience. Even for you.”

Shaxx has the patience of a saint, in Rho’s opinion, but she has to deal with all of Tamzin’s spite and temper. He only gets the slightly endearing whining, these days. Though he did handle her well, back…

Rho feels her thoughts derail at the sight of a familiar form.

_Oh, no._

He’s tall, and smiling, blue hair catching the light as he leans on the Eververse counter, holding Tess’s hand lightly and admiring her manicure as he chats her up.

Impossible. She’s too far away to be certain, really. That’s what she tells herself. But she can see him, and she recognizes him, and she _knows_.

 _Oh, no. No. No_.

The Ghost turns to look at Tamzin, feeling a rush of relief to see the girl still arguing with Shaxx. She ought to feel bad for wanting her to remain ignorant, but as long as her Guardian doesn’t see him, things can be normal.

As normal as they can be.

As long as she doesn’t think about him, she’ll be fine.

“-- perfectly clear: you’re not setting foot in a Rumble match until you can demonstrate that you’re willing to be a team player.” The Handler has crossed his own arms over his chest, and Rho realizes the battle of the wills iscoming to a close.

Tamzin looks like she might stomp her feet and shout for a moment, protest like a petulant child. Instead, she drops her chin, sighing in defeat.

“Can I get a different team?” She asks, unable to keep a whine out of her voice.

“No.” Shaxx pats her on the shoulder. “But they’ll likely still watch your back in today's match if you apologize.”

Rho is trying to figure out how to avoid a disaster, a sighting, but thankfully Tamzin is already heading past Shaxx, away from Eververse.

“Come on,” she calls to the Ghost. “I want ramen.”

“Great idea!” Rho sounds a bit too enthusiastic, and she quickly moderates her tone. “I think food will help your mood.”

“Fuck you,” Tamzin scoffs, batting at her Ghost half-heartedly. “My mood’s fine.”  


	15. Chapter 15

“This could be a problem.”

Ikora doesn’t have to look at Zavala to know his expression. Troubled, stern, and a faint trace of exasperation.

“She’s proven herself again and again, Zavala.” Ikora feels like she’s repeating herself, but she knows the only place this argument has occurred before is in her mind. “And she is hardly the only Guardian prone to emotional outbursts.”

She’s been expecting this, in some form. Ever since Chalco, skimming coordinates from newly-found Guardians in one of her fits of whimsy, had stopped scrolling, and said “Hey, Ikora. Isn’t this…?”

“Her behavior threatened this City and our people before,” he reminds her. As if she needs reminding. “And if she tells him who he was, and this creates problems with the Reef--”

“Zavala,” Ikora sighs. “These are all possibilities that can be dealt with when the time comes. The odds that they’ll even run into one another are incredibly small.”

“She will find him.” His certainty is slightly grating today, Ikora realizes. She’ll have to reflect on why that is later, when she’s not distracted by maps and reports. “And we will have to deal with it.”

She stares down at the map, sorting the data in her mind, finding the gaps where she needs more information. An asset on Mercury would not go amiss, but the Tangled Shore...

“When the time comes, we’ll deal with it.” She places a marker decisively on the Reef, scribbling something in the margins. “And not a moment sooner.”


	16. Chapter 16

He watches the girl from his dreams die.

She’s on the displays of the bar, red hair slicked with sweat and blood. She threw her helmet off once the visor cracked, and he sees her face, sharp and clear and _real_.

One Guardian dives for her, and she pulls out her sidearm, shooting him in the throat. The next meets a similar fate. But she runs out of ammunition, and as she jams a new clip into the gun, a sword bursts through her chest, slashing her from shoulder to hip.

The bar patrons erupt in cheers at the upset, and the scoreboard shifts.

Kessy is staring at her Guardian, wondering why he looks so pale. She bumps against him, trying to get his attention above the noise.

“It’s her.” He says. She can only hear him because she’s right beside his mouth.

“Who?” Kessy looks at the screen, and the camera cuts away from the dead redhead, showing her rematerializing with a vicious, predatory grin.

Edix looks at the Ghost, swallowing harshly before he speaks. “The girl in my dreams. That’s her.”


	17. Chapter 17

He’s waiting for her at the Tower.

Rho sees him first. She falters, trying to decide if she should herd Tamzin away, but the hesitation just catches the Guardian’s attention, and she turns to see what her Ghost is so flustered by.

Her face makes something in his gut drop. Worse- She staggers when she sees him, and he can tell that she recognizes him.

“Tamzin,” her Ghost says, trying to make her look away. “Tamzin, don’t--”

Edix pushes past the people in his way. He faintly hears the Crucible handler say something, trying to get his attention, but he ignores them all. She’s not running, and he stops in front of her, staring into her mismatched eyes.

He holds out a hand. “Hey. I’m Edix.”

She takes it. She’s trembling, but she doesn’t speak.

Edix tightens his grip.

“Do we know each other?”

The Warlock opens her mouth, but instead of speaking, she gasps- And then bursts into tears.

He exchanges a bewildered look with her Ghost, then his own. He carefully reaches out, puts a hand on her head, an awkward attempt to comfort.

“Are you okay?”

She shakes her head, rubbing her face on her sleeve. “Yeah. Yeah.” A deep breath, a series of sniffles. “I’m just… I’m just really glad to meet you.”

“... I’ve seen you before.” He says.

“ _Guardian_!”

The sound of Zavala’s voice is like the crack of a whip, and the majority of the plaza turns in response to his call. He seems to realize his mistake, clearing his throat. “Warlock Tamzin. I need a word.”

She looks back at Edix, and he just nods, giving her a cheeky smile. “Better go before the boss gets mad.”

Zavala is glaring at him as he shepherds Tamzin back into the Vanguard’s chambers.

Edix puts his hands up, trying to show that he didn’t hurt her.

“That was weird,” Kessy remarks.

“Yeah.” Edix sounds awed. “Yeah. She’s real.”


	18. Chapter 18

“Tamzin, take a seat.”

Zavala gestures to a chair, though he didn’t settle down himself. He’s closed the door, and while she’s still trying to dry her face and stop sniveling, she knows what that means.

She’s in trouble.

“I’d prefer to stand, if it’s all the same.”

The Titan simply nods. Ikora offers a sympathetic smile, but Tamzin doesn’t return it. She’s numb. She knows she’s going to be angry. What she doesn’t know is who to blame.

“We were hoping we wouldn’t have to have this conversation,” the Titan begins. “But circumstances require it. As you know, we strongly discourage Guardians from trying to look into their pasts. Unfortunately, in this situation--”

“How long have you known?” Tamzin cuts in as she finds her words. “How did you know it was him?”

“It’s not him, Tamzin.” Ikora is trying to be reassuring. It’s not working. “You know this. When we come back, memories--”

“He recognizes me.” She interrupts the Vanguard yet again, angrily wiping her nose on her sleeve. “He came up to me. He told me he knows me.”

“Likely from your time in the Crucible, Tamzin.”

“Stop saying my name like it’s going to calm me down, Ikora.” She snaps. “Answer my fucking questions.”

“Guardian, watch your tone.” Zavala is not prepared to brook disrespect. “We are still your superiors.”

Tamzin doesn’t care. “If you’re going to pull me in here to lecture me about my personal life, I’ll use any tone I want.” She snarls. “Is that all you want to say? Tell me to keep my mouth shut, not tell him anything?”

“Yes.” Zavala’s tone is short, much like his patience. “To remind you of your duty, and give you an order.”

Tamzin laughs, a bitter sound. “An order? You can’t tell me what to do. You’re not my commander. She is.” She flings an arm in Ikora’s direction. “And even she can’t watch me every second of every day. You can’t enforce any of this.”

Ikora and Zavala exchange a look, and Tamzin can feel her hackles rise even more.

“Tamzin,” Zavala begins. “We have given you an obscene amount of leeway for your outbursts. We are not going to tolerate this level of insubordination.”

“Leeway? Fuck,” she interrupts him, trying not to start crying again. “I don’t want leeway. I don’t want special treatment. If I wanted to get away with murder, I’d be your fucking war hero. Go kill an Awoken Prince or something. Disobey more orders. Get pats on the ass and laurels for _insubordination_.”

Zavala exhales slowly. “You will not tell him anything about his past life. You will not seek him out. Or there will be consequences.”

“I will do whatever the fuck I want to do,” she lifts her chin, setting her jaw stubbornly. “And you can’t stop me.”


	19. Chapter 19

“It says here your privileges have been suspended, Tam.” The technician looks sheepish, holding out his hands to demonstrate his helplessness. “Vanguard level. I can’t work around it.”

Tamzin looks like she’s about to put her fist through the glass, but she turns away, trying to swallow some of her rage.

“You can’t pretend you didn’t see this coming,” Rho says.

“I should’ve burned the fucking Tower down,” Tamzin hisses, storming up the hangar steps. “ _Insubordination_. I’ll give him a reason to suspend my privileges.”

“No. Tamzin, no.” Rho zooms in front of her, trying in vain to stop the Warlock. “Don’t do something you’ll regret. You’re going to make it worse.”

“Good.” Tamzin shoves the Ghost aside, and Rho is forced to trail behind as her Guardian marches across the plaza and into Control.

“No flight privileges, huh?” She shouts, arms out as if she’s challenging the room. Zavala and Ikora look up, and Rho hangs back, trying to avoid the wrath she’s certain her Guardian is going to incur.

“Tamzin…” Ikora’s voice is a warning, but Tamzin isn’t going to be stopped.

She grabs the edge of Zavala’s table, trying to lift it, but the Titan just puts a hand on it. It doesn’t budge. With a snarl, she swipes her arms over the top, sending papers and books flying.

“There’s some insubordination for you, _sir_.”

She’s out of breath from her exertions, and the entire command center is staring, wondering what will happen next. Tamzin just turns and leaves, her defiant glare sending Guardians and citizens alike skittering out of her way.

“Control,” Zavala is on the comms, jaw tight. “Extend the suspension for Guardian Tamzin to one month. No exceptions.”

Ikora looks at the mess on the floor with a dismayed expression.

“Zavala…” She starts to speak, but the Titan just lifts a hand in her direction, signaling for her to wait.

“Shaxx. Come to command. We need to talk.”


	20. Chapter 20

Tamzin is so angry that she can’t even cry, though she’d like to.

Of all the things Zavala could’ve done, having Shaxx ban her from Crucible until her suspension was lifted was the lowest possible blow.

“It’s entirely your own fault.” Rho repeats, as if she needs reminding. “You did this all to yourself.”

“They lied to me.” Her teeth hurt from clenching her jaw, and she forces herself to relax it, running her tongue along them to be sure she hasn’t cracked anything. “They knew he was back, and they hid it from me, and then they had the gall to tell me--”

“They’re in charge, you idiot.” The Ghost sounds exasperated. “You’re a soldier. You do what they tell you. That’s your job.”

“I don’t _fucking care_.” Her voice is high-pitched, and she has to swallow her next words to speak normally again.

“Uh… Hey.”

Rho watches the color drain from Tamzin’s face at the familiar voice, and for a moment, she thinks she might be sick.

Instead, she turns, slowly, to see the Hunter standing behind her. Posing, really- He seems to know exactly how to stand to maximize his visual impact.

That’s not what Tamzin is paying attention to, though.

“Hi.”

They stand in silence for a long while, the only sounds coming from the shops beginning to close around them, citizens heading home for the night.

Edix shifts his weight as the last of the shopkeepers leaves the bazaar, quietly clearing his throat.

“I’ve been dreaming about you.”

Tamzin blinks, caught off guard by the bluntness of his admission.

“That’s… kinda creepy to tell a girl.”

Rho feels a bit of relief at the vague indignation in her Guardian’s tone. She’s not going to break down. Not yet.

The Hunter laughs, some of his tension easing. “Right? But it’s true. I’ve been dreaming about you ever since my Ghost found me. Really vivid dreams.”

He hesitates, glancing at his Ghost, and Tamzin realizes his dreams haven’t involved her as a chaste goddess. She feels her cheeks starting to burn.

“I don’t know why.” She tells him, and the lie feels like a knife in her own heart. “I’ve never met you before.”

“That’s a lie,” he states it as a fact, watching her face as she tries to compose herself. “Try again.”

Tamzin looks past him, and he realizes she’s trying to plan an escape. He steps aside, blocking her path to the exit.

“I just want answers.” He pleads, holding his hands out to her. “Please.”

“I can’t give you any.” She steps back, and he sees her squaring her shoulders, bracing herself. “Now leave me alone.”

Edix bites his lip as she turns her back on him, walking further into the Bazaar. Her Ghost lingers for a moment, looking him over, before following.

“That _was_ kinda creepy.” Kessy informs him.

“Oh, well.” He shrugs, not taking his eyes off of the retreating Warlock's back. “I’ll be as creepy as I have to be until I get what I want.”


	21. Chapter 21

“Got a light?” 

Tamzin opens her eyes. There’s a scruffy looking man above her, giving her an expectant look. This would be less strange if she weren’t lying on one of the small Bazaar rooftops, sunbathing where nobody will bother her. 

It’s not like she has anything better to do. 

“Did you come all the way up here to ask me that?” She stretches her neck to one side, sighing at the sound of a few satisfying pops. “Use a match like normal people.” 

The man crouches down beside her, and she grudgingly holds out a hand, summoning a flame to light his cigarette. 

“You’re that Crucible hotshot, aintcha?” 

“Not a hotshot,” she corrects him, draping an arm over her eyes once more. “And not in the Crucible. At least for a while.” 

“Shit,” he sounds disappointed. “I make a lot of money on you. When will you be back?” 

“Either… three weeks, or next year.” How can she make it more obvious that she doesn’t want to be bothered? “Depends on whether or not I set Control on fire this week. Haven’t decided yet.” 

He laughs, and she can hear him settling down against the wall beside her. 

“Seems a spitfire like you would be bored, stuck in one place for so long.” 

“Do you want something?” Tamzin sighs again, a bit more loudly. Apparently he doesn’t want to take a hint.

“I wanna help you out, sister.” She uncovers one eye, only to find him grinning down at her. Much closer, this time. “Give you an outlet for all that pent-up Crucible talent, and get you out of the Tower for a bit.” 

“I don’t have a ship.” She points out.

“You got your guns, though.” He gestures at the rifle, propped up behind her. “And I can give you a ride. You’d be a champ in Gambit. Lots of money, no strings attached.” 

“... You’re not my type, if that’s what you’re fishing for.” 

He laughs, again. He seems to find everything funny. She’s not sure if that’s annoying, or if she’s just in a foul mood. 

“Nah, I just need fighters. You put up a good fight, you win a match, you get paid, and I get a good show.” 

Tamzin sits up, looking out across the Tower below. She sees a flash of silver, and her eyes narrow. 

Edix is perched across the way. He’s staking her out. 

Again. 

“...Sure.” Tamzin surprises herself with the answer. “I could use a vacation.” 

“Great!” The man laughs, again, holding out a hand. “Drifter. Look forward to working with ya.” 

“Tamzin.” She hesitates for a moment before taking his hand, shaking it firmly in return. “How are you planning to sneak me out of the Tower?”


	22. Chapter 22

“Going somewhere?”

Tamzin jumps at the sound of his voice, cracking her head on the rack above her with a loud curse. Edix starts forward to help, but her Ghost is already tending to the spot, and the Warlock is giving him a glare that could kill. 

“I can’t go anywhere,” she informs him. “I’m grounded.”

He looks pointedly at the satchel on her side, obviously a bit too full for a stroll in the city. “If you say so.”

They stand in silence, and he realizes he’s standing in the only door. For once, he has her cornered.

“I just want to talk.” Edix swallows nervously, not sure what to ask. “I deserve answers.”

Tamzin’s Ghost starts forward, but she puts a hand up, waves. Reluctantly, the Ghost dematerializes.

“You don’t deserve anything.”

The words are cold, harsh. He realizes he’s stepped back, as if expecting an attack.

“What--”

She cuts him off.

“You’re looking for answers about a life that doesn’t exist anymore. We all used to be something else. Someone else. It doesn’t make you special.” Tamzin inhales, clenching her fists, digging her nails into her palms to hide her shaking. “You’re a soldier like everyone else. Nothing that came before this matters.”

Edix feels a spark of anger, and he steps forward, teeth bared.

“You exist. You’re right here, in front of me. You knew me before, and you’re hiding it from me. I want to know why.”

“I’m not telling you anything. Now get the fuck out of my way.” She tries to push past him, but he catches her by the shoulder, spinning her to get a grip on her arms.  

“No.” He tightens his grip when she tries to pull away, and she gasps at the pain. “Tell me.”

“I’ll scream.” An empty threat; she’d have to explain why she was rooting around in the armory. “Get your hands off me.”

“Tell me! Tell me who I was!” He shakes her, hard. She bites down a yelp, more from anger than pain, though her brain seems to rattle in her skull from the force. “Tell me why you’re in my dreams.”

Those words hit her like a knife to the heart. She staggers, sags in his grip, but he keeps her upright, grip still firm on her arms.

“I can’t.”

She says it so softly that he can barely hear the words. He has to lean in.

“I can’t tell you. Zavala would never let me leave the Tower again.”

Edix seems startled by this. “What? You mean-- That fight--”

Tamzin laughs bitterly, and the expression forces the tears from her eyes. “Not much of a fight.”

“Just tell me.” His voice is pleading, but he still won’t release her.

She stares at him, breathing heavily. Edix resists the urge to shake her again, just to make her speak.

“When the Red War started, I was injured.”

She looks down as she starts to speak, voice strangled as she forces the words out past the lump in her throat.

“You… You helped put me back together. You gave me this eye. And then we ended up together.” She sniffs, pulling one arm away to try and wipe her nose on her sleeve. “We kept meeting up, even after I left.” 

Something compels him to bring a hand to her face, tilt her chin up so he can get a better look at her. She stares back, real eye red from crying, cheeks flushed around a series of scars.

“So they’re real. The dreams happened.”

Tamzin laughs again. “You haven’t told me what they’re about, but I’m real. I happened.”

The Hunter leans in, and takes a kiss- Fierce, forward. He can feel Tamzin stiffen in shock, but soon she relaxes, and he feels a jolt of familiarity as the lines between his dreams and this moment begin to blur.

“That….” She gasps when he releases her, bringing fingers to her slightly bruised lips.

“Didn’t like it?” He asks, tilting his head to one side.

“I didn’t say that.” Tamzin feels like she’s about to cry again. Cry, or scream. _I wish I were mad._  

“I’m not the same person.” He says it plainly, and she flinches as if he’s slapped her. He hurries to elaborate. “But… I can’t stop thinking about you. I want to know you. I want…”

He wants those dreams, but he wants them to be real.

“You’re not the same person.” Her voice is hard, rough around the edges, and he feels pain in those words he can only begin to imagine. Pain, and fear. “And I don’t think I can survive losing him again.”

“You won’t.” He doesn’t know why he says it, but in this moment, it feels true. “I won’t hurt you.”

She wants to believe him. He can see it in her eyes. But she pulls away, and edges past him, stumbling to the door.

“Tamzin.” He says her name, pleading.

He sees her flinch.

She doesn’t look back.


	23. Chapter 23

“This is the part where you’ll shine, sister.”

The Drifter points to a huge metal ring. “Your team puts enough motes in the bank, and that portal opens up. You jump in with that shiny gun of yours, and bam!” He pantomimes shooting a sniper rifle. “Wipe out the enemy team, and come back.”

Tamzin leans back on the strange cylinder he calls a “bank”, unable to hide her boredom.

“This sounds way too complicated.” She rubs one eye, stifling a yawn. “Why do I only get a few seconds to actually fight people?”

“It wouldn’t be any fun if you could just invade all the time!” He seems to think that answers her question. “You’ll see once you play a match. You’ll love it, I promise.”

She holds a hand up as he tries to pat her on the shoulder. “Do not touch me. I will break your wrist.”

“So serious.” He shakes his head. “Where’s the trust?”

“Where’s the money?” She retorts.

The Drifter just smiles. “Show me your stuff, sharpshooter. You win, and you’ll get all the glimmer you want.”

Tamzin sighs, looking aside to the ruins of a nearby tenement. “It’s just a hoop. What does it do, transmat? You just transmat to another field and shoot people?”

He chews on his toothpick for a moment, staring at her as if trying to make a decision. In the end, he spits it out, stepping toward her.

“I’ll show you.” He offers a hand, and she takes it after a moment’s hesitation, letting him tug her closer to the metal ring.

A rift of impenetrable darkness appears, growing, until it fills the entire circle. A writing, seething mass of night, seeming to reach for her, try to draw her in.

“Go on,” The Drifter says.

Tamzin hesitates.

“It won’t hurt you, and you’ll come right back.”

What does she really have to lose?

She takes a deep breath, and steps into the darkness.


	24. Chapter 24

Edix brushes the dead leaves from the wall, watching them float to the paving stones before taking a seat. A pair of women giggle as they pass, but the Hunter is too absorbed in his own frustration to notice.

Tamzin is gone.

“She’ll come back.” Kessy assures him. “She couldn’t go too far.”

He sighs, rubbing his face. “What if she’s in trouble? I should ask--”

“I don’t think ratting her out to the Vanguard will win you any points.”

The Ghost is right, but he feels so helpless and confused. Kissing Tamzin had been an impulsive move, far too bold, but he had felt her return it- enjoy it- before she fled.

“I just want to know…” He starts to speak, but he lets the words trail away. Kessy knows what he wants. She’s heard him say it far too many times already.

“Do you want answers about your life before? Or do you just want her?”

The Ghost’s question is cutting, and Edix blinks in surprise as he finds that he doesn’t have an answer.

“I don’t know her.” He finally replies.

Kessy scoffs. “Well, that would be a good place to start, don’t you think?”

The Hunter looks at his hands, as if they might hold some answer to this all.

“I guess it would be.” He finally agrees. “And then--”

“One thing at a time.” Kessy cuts him off. “Make a friend. A girl friend. That you aren’t trying to get in bed. It’ll be good practice.”

He frowns at the Ghost. “I’m not that bad.”

She dematerializes instead of responding.

He’s left to watch the leaves fall from the trees, turning Tamzin’s words over in his mind until the light of day fades.


	25. Chapter 25

Tamzin staggers back into the light, head spinning.

She feels a dull pain when her knees hit the stones beneath her, but it feels like someone else’s pain. All-consuming heat and power have flooded her veins, and she can barely think straight, let alone stand. She wants…

She _wants_.

Tamzin tries to slow her breathing. She’s panting, heart racing, system reacting to the rush of adrenaline, endorphins, a spike of pleasure that’s left her desperate for more.  

“You seem riled up.” The Drifter’s voice is amused. She can tell he’s enjoying this, and she hates it.

“Shut up,” she huffs. Her voice is husky, betraying her. He just laughs.

“Feels good, don’t it?” He almost purrs the words, walking around her.

Tamzin closes her eyes, ignoring him as she tries to compose herself. A cold shower would be good, right about now. Rho appears, concerned, but she waves the Ghost away, rubbing her face and trying to think clearly.  

That _power_. The feeling of breaking through that portal, that energy crawling over and under her skin, the rush of strength and speed and _hunger_...

She opens her eyes.

The Drifter is crouched down, trying to get a better look at her face.

“You alright there?”

Tamzin bites her lip so hard she can taste blood.

“I need… a minute.”

The Drifter smirks, that infuriating, knowing smile. “Just let me know if you need a hand with anything.”

She stares at him, lips stained red as the blood spreads.

It’s impulsive, reckless-- but she feels like she could make the Earth spin in reverse if she wanted to right now.

“I think… I do.”

She can have anything.

She can forget it all, for now.


	26. Chapter 26

“Not bad, Hunter.” Shaxx’s voice booms far too close to Edix’s ear, and the Hunter flinches, bringing a hand in a vain attempt to protect his eardrum.

“Th- Thanks,” he forces a sheepish smile, turning to face the Handler. “I’m learning a lot.”

“Indeed!” Edix is starting to wonder if this Titan is hard of hearing. “A few more weeks like this, and you’ll be competing like a veteran.”

“I’d love to compete, sir.” His smile is sincere now. _Compete_ , like Tamzin.

If she ever comes back, at least.

She’s returned to the Tower a few times, in the past weeks. She makes her appearances, vanishing once she sees Edix watching her, or once she's certain Zavala’s seen her about.

She carries herself differently. She slips into the City, unarmed, and he loses her in the crowds of the night markets, only to see her returning in the early hours with mussed hair, fatigued and disoriented.

Despite her suspension, she has money, and he’s seen new baubles and clothing, new accents on her weaponry.

“What is she doing?” He wonders aloud.

He’s followed her, yet again, watching her glance around the empty bazaar before ducking beneath a half-closed gate to an abandoned dock.

“Only one way to find out.” Kessy replies, floating behind him. “Want me to go look?”

Edix exhales slowly, weighing his options. He’s been trying to give Tamzin space, but Kessy is discreet. She can go, look, report back, and leave no trace behind.  

“...No. I’ll go.” The Ghost is about to argue, but she dematerializes at a sign from her Guardian.

Edix jumps to the ground, landing in a crouch, pulling up his hood to hide his face.

It’s time to hunt.


	27. Chapter 27

“You really enjoy killing, dontcha?”

The casual remark makes Tamzin falter, though she forces herself not to look back. He’s going to be smiling at her, as always, waiting for some response or reaction that will entertain him for reasons she can’t understand.

“I don’t think you can be a Guardian if you don’t.” She looks down at her rifle. The barrel is scuffed, and she licks the thumb of her glove, attempting to buff it out. “Don’t you?”

“Nah.” His steps echo on the hull of the ship, growing louder as he paces toward her. “I’m not one of your Tower types. Never have been.”

He’s chewing on that damn toothpick again. She can hear it clicking against his teeth, his tongue.

“You like power.” Tamzin doesn’t say it like a question, and he just laughs, as always.

“Not as much as you do, sister.”

He’s thinking about that first day, her first time through the portal. She can hear it in his voice.

Tamzin suppresses a shiver, trying not to think about that, or every other time she’s come out of these games, thirsty for blood and pleasure and oblivion.

Killing doesn’t ease it. She wipes out team after team, and each time she leaves a match, she’s craving more.

“I just want to feel something.” Tamzin sighs. The scuff isn’t coming out. “Or nothing.”

The Drifter puts a hand on her shoulder, and she finally turns to face him. He bares his teeth in that cursed, predatory grin, and she feels the ghost of his fingers on her throat, between her legs, drawing pleasure out of her desperation until all she has left is shame.  

“If you’re here for another round, strap in.” He drops the bag of glimmer into her hand, jerking his head toward the door. “Or get out.”

Tamzin hums, testing the bag’s weight in her hand.

“What time’s takeoff?”

The man’s laughter sends a shiver down Edix’s spine. He doesn’t hear his answer.

“I’ll get something to eat first, then.” Tamzin’s voice is higher, carries well.

As her footsteps draw near, he presses back into the wall, looking down to keep the glow of his eyes from drawing her attention. Once she disappears, he relaxes- But only for a moment.

“No need to hide anymore, brother.” Edix turns to see the outline of the man, standing in the door to the ship. He feels an unsettling sense of dread, realizing he’d been aware of his presence. “She’s gone for a while.”

“Who are you?” Edix doesn’t know what else to say, but the question seems to please the stranger.

“Well, now. That depends who’s asking. And why.” He steps aside, gesturing to the inside of his ship. “Why don’t you come in?”

The Hunter doesn't hesitate.


	28. Chapter 28

“It’s a glorified fight club.” Tamzin sets her gun on the desk, taking a moment to shrug her coat off, rearrange herself. “It’s shady, and a bit dangerous, but I don’t see how it could threaten the City at this point.”

Ikora leans forward onto her elbows, staring thoughtfully at the newly gilded rifle as if it may hold answers.

“You haven’t seen any signs of other parties involved? No strange weapons? Nothing?”

“Nothing.”

The Hidden shrugs, tugging at her hair. It needs to be cut, she muses. She hates having a ponytail beneath her helmets, and it’s just long enough to require tying back.

“He’s just a creepy guy running creepy fights. There’s Taken, and some interdimensional weirdness, but the only grand scheme is the money.”

Ikora is staring at her, and Tamzin wonders, fleetingly, if she knows what she’s leaving out.

“Don’t get in too deep, Tamzin.” The Vanguard warns. “But keep watching, and tell me if there are any developments.”

The young Warlock nods, reaching for her weapon. “I will. But…” She hesitates, glancing over her shoulder to the doorway. “Shaxx seems suspicious. And a little upset.”

Ikora smiles faintly. “He’s worried about you. It might be wise to divide your time a bit more evenly between your ventures. Your absence from the Crucible has been glaring.”

The Crucible doesn’t have that rush. The Crucible doesn’t have that moment of exultation, those sweet seconds of power. And Shaxx...

Well.  

“I guess it has been.” Tamzin shrugs, smiling sheepishly. “I’ll try to make amends. Remind those newbies to keep an eye on the sky.”

She can feel Ikora’s eyes on her back as she leaves.


	29. Chapter 29

There’s nothing tender or romantic about it. That makes it perfect, really- Perfect, and terrible.

He keeps a hand at her throat, a thumb beneath her jaw, forcing her to bare her throat. The better to see her face, really. The expression of desperation is what he wants to see, and it’s what he gets.

She’s a rat. He’s almost certain of it. And yet, she’s naive, desperate, crawling back to him each time reckless and desperate for another high.

He grins as she arches her back, nails scraping against the wall of the Derelict. “That’s it,” he exhales, savoring the soft whimpers as she strains, struggles. “Give in, sweetheart.”

Her hands find his shoulders, and he can feel her nails digging into the pelts of his armor, grip tightening when he finds the sweet spot, makes her gasp aloud.

She finishes quickly- too quickly for his taste- but he doesn’t let her off so easily. Instead, he keeps playing her like an instrument, until she climaxes again, and again, and he can savor the sight of her, spent, shame seeping into her bones she tries to catch her breath.

This can’t be part of her job. Perhaps that’s why she always looks so resentful, when they finish. Her pride must suffer when she recalls these particulars.

He can feel her pulse fluttering beneath his thumb. He could draw squeeze the life right out of her, like this. Press down until her delicate heart stops beating, until those ragged little pants of breath faded away.  

Today, though, he does not.

He brings his hand to her mouth, parting her lips, pressing until her teeth part, and he can spread the taste of her sex on her tongue. She recoils, but he runs a thumb down her throat, a gentle threat, until she sucks his fingers clean. He inhales, slowly, savoring the feeling.

His musing is interrupted as he feels her teeth scraping his skin, eyes flashing with the threat of a bite.

“Don’t you dare,” he breathes, seeing her jaw tense. She hesitates, and that’s enough time for him to draw his hand back-- Push her head aside, cruelly, letting her fall back against the hull.

“Clean yourself up.” He dries his finger on his chaps, smirking as she licks her lips, grimacing at the taste. “I’ve got another match to run.”


	30. Chapter 30

She comes into the cargo bay flushed, disheveled, fastening her coat. Edix can see the faint outline of a bruise on her jaw.

Her Ghost isn’t doing anything to mend it.

She didn’t recognize him. She’d shot him at least thrice each round, swift and distant, but it wasn’t until this moment that she was close enough to hear his voice.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

Her face goes white, freckles standing out like burns on her cheeks. The Drifter looks like a cat with a bowl of cream as Tamzin looks to him, mouth open as if she’s going to say something.

Edix takes off his helmet. She looks like she might be ill, but he reaches out- Puts a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m not here to upset you.” He speaks softly, trying to avoid being overheard. “I’m here to play. But I owe you an apology.”

Tamzin is still speechless, but she doesn’t pull away. He takes it as permission, and pushes ahead.

“I’ve been pushing you to tell me about someone that you lost. I demanded answers that you didn’t want to give me, and that wasn’t fair.” He takes a breath, searching her face for some sign of understanding. “I want to get to know you. I want to be your friend. If you can forgive me…”

She inhales, sharply, and he falters for a moment.

“... If you can forgive me, I think we might work well together.”

Kessy’s coaching served him well, if nothing else. The hold is quiet as death, aside from the hum of the Derelict’s engines.

Edix waits.

Tamzin looks from him to the Drifter, and for a moment, he thinks he can see a flash of spite in her eyes.

“Friends.” Her voice is cold, at odds with her words. “We can be friends.”

Edix can’t help grinning. His joy seems to soften Tamzin, and she brings a hand up to his wrist, letting it rest there for a moment before lifting his arm and gently pushing it away.

“I’m going to sit this one out.” She tells him, tone reassuring. “You go have fun.”

He realizes, as his team lands on the field, that she didn’t say he was forgiven.


	31. Chapter 31

He’s got leverage now.

Tamzin is so mad she could spit, but she can’t let her temper get the best of her. Not entirely.

“What the fuck was that?” She demands.

“That?” The Drifter just smiles at her, leaning back in his chair, completely unfazed by her anger. “That was a Hunter. Lovesick, to hear him talk about it. Or didja mean you, staying here and losing money?”

“You set this up.” The accusation is ludicrous, but she can’t think of another possibility. “You brought him along to get to me.”

“If I really wanted to set you up, sister, he’d have seen you long before you got back to the bay.” He rolls his toothpick between his teeth, feigning thoughtfulness. “Imagine his face if he walked in and saw you, his long lost love, begging at my feet like a dog.”

“I--” Tamzin stammers, choking on her anger. “I do not beg.”

The Drifter just laughs.

“Leave him alone,” she snaps. “He’s not cut out for this. He’ll tell the Vanguard, and put you out of business.”

“Tell them what?” The Drifter spreads his hands, a gesture of innocence. “There’s nothing to tell.”

She doesn’t have an answer.

“See, I didn’t think you’d do so well, sister. But here you are.”

He gets to his feet, sighing loudly, putting a hand on the back of her neck. She can’t tell if the touch is supposed to be affectionate, or threatening, but his grip is too tight to let her pull away.

“Who knows?” He leans in, breath hot against her ear. “Maybe darkness will suit him as well as it suits you.”

Tamzin flinches. The taste of bile is sour on her tongue.


End file.
